Lexi's Fate (Book 2 of A Goddess Unraveled)

~44~

It had been a week since Lexi made the impassioned decision to visit Olympus, and the day had finally arrived. Today, she would meet Kade at the gates of the underworld, and he would escort her to her father's domain. Despite her issues with Kade, he was the only god she trusted to accompany her, based on the fact that he would have to answer to Hades if he misbehaved.

Despite Lexi's countless debate awards cluttering the shelves of her former home, she had trouble keeping her nerves at bay. She would not be facing off against a teenaged boy with shit for brains, she would be facing the gods of Olympus. Blythe had fashioned Lexi's hair into a no-nonsense French braid that hung over her shoulder, and she had donned her most sensible dress made of tightly woven fabric to keep the cold at bay. It was winter in Olympus as well.  

Persephone had helped Lexi prepare the argument she would present to Zeus and the council of the gods, making sure she focused on the satyrs, who had been the target of a brutal attack perpetrated by the minotaurs. The minotaurs' message was clear. They were protesting the slaughter of one of their leaders and the near fatal injury of his adolescent son. The attack was horribly misdirected, of course. Everyone knew a certain delinquent god was to blame for that, and he had soared off to Olympus with his fancy wings before the situation got hairy. So far, the minotaurs had left the palace and its inhabitants alone.

Lexi walked onto her balcony, filling her lungs with the crisp morning air and clearing her mind of distracting thoughts. This is going to be a good day, she told herself. Lexi started each day this way, with prayers of gratitude for her blessed life and for the god who pledged his eternal devotion to her every time they shared a bed, or a bath, or a stairwell. Lexi tensed, her thoughts evaporating as she caught sight of a group of minotaurs marching across the distant field. She had witnessed the same exercise take place over the past six days, a show of opposition as they protested the hunt. Lexi held no doubt her decision to confront the council about the fate of the minotaurs was justified.

Hades greeted Lexi with a smile when she arrived for breakfast, although she could tell he had not slept well. It was no secret Hades had been brooding for a week, spending all his free time in the dome room and, on one occasion, falling asleep there next to Cerberus. In fact, it was Cerberus who alerted the nymphs to Hades' whereabouts when he had not reported to dinner. Lexi knew this would be a daunting day for him too, but there were other thoughts plaguing him, plaguing everyone. Persephone had not been interested in food, or in conversation, for that matter, waving their worries away and using the mounting tensions with the minotaurs as an excuse.

Persephone avoided looking at her plate of eggs Blythe placed it in front of her, focusing instead on Lexi as she took her seat. "I hope you had restful sleep, Lexi," she said. "You have an important two days ahead of you."

"I believe I'm ready to tackle the monumental assignment I have set for myself," Lexi offered after indulging in a long drink of orange juice.

Persephone bobbed her head, grimacing at her breakfast. "And not a moment too soon, I feel."

"Quite right," Hades added, downing a mimosa that appeared to be his second.

Jocelyn only shook her head as she pushed a bowl of fruit in front of Persephone.

Before Lexi had a chance to take her first bite of food, Sella rushed into the dining room, her face flushed a brownish red, like a rose bush after an overdose of blood meal. "The stable!" she cried. "The stable is on fire!"

Lexi jumped out of her chair, sending it skidding across the marble floor, and she dashed into the kitchen behind Sella. The stable was situated a few paces outside the kitchen's back door, and Lexi wasted no time rushing past the nymphs standing at their stations. They all appeared to be in varying stages of shock. "Water! We need buckets of water!" Lexi shouted as she blazed past them.